Autonomous trolley system

ABSTRACT

Autonomous trolleys include an integrated power source, which energy can be utilized for integrated trolley systems such as a wheel assist module, heating module, and cooling module. The power source may include a fuel cell system or a rechargeable electrical energy storage device or a combination thereof. The rechargeable electrical energy storage device can be charged by any other power source, including a fuel cell system. The trolley can also be equipped with a fuel tank for easy and safe refueling of a fuel cell system.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Nonprovisional ApplicationSer. No. 14/384,776,entitled “AUTONOMOUS TROLLEY SYSTEM,” filed Sep. 12,2014 as the U.S. national phase entry of PCT/IB2013/051999, filed Mar.13, 2013, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 61/610,025, entitled “IDEAS USING A FC (FUEL CELL) FOR GALLEYS,LAVATORIES AND TOILET SYSTEM,” filed Mar. 13, 2012 ; U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 61/663,775, entitled “TROLLEY INNOVATIONS,” filedJun. 25, 2012 ; U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/670,232,entitled “GALLEY INNOVATIONS (2),” filed Jul. 11, 2012; and U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/734,645, entitled “GALLEY ANDLAVATORY AND OTHER POWER CONSUMER(S) POWERED BY A FUEL CELL,” filed Dec.7, 2012 . The entire disclosure of each is hereby incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A number of components on-board an aircraft require electrical power fortheir activation. Many of these components are separate from theelectrical components that are actually required to run the aircraft(i.e., the navigation system, fuel gauges, flight controls, andhydraulic systems). For example, aircraft also have catering equipment,heating/cooling systems, lavatories, power seats, water heaters, andother components that require power as well. Specific components thatmay require external power include but are not limited to trashcompactors (in galley and/or lavatory), ovens and warming compartments(e.g., steam ovens, convection ovens, bun warmers), optional dishwasher, freezer, refrigerator, coffee and espresso makers, water heaters(for tea), air chillers and chilled compartments, galley waste disposal,heated or cooled bar carts/trolleys, surface cleaning, area heaters,cabin ventilation, independent ventilation, area or spot lights (e.g.,cabin lights and/or reading lights for passenger seats), water supply,water line heating to prevent freezing, charging stations for passengerelectronics, electrical sockets, vacuum generators, vacuum toiletassemblies, grey water interface valves, power seats (e.g., especiallyfor business or first class seats), passenger entertainment units,emergency lighting, and combinations thereof. These components areimportant for passenger comfort and satisfaction, and many componentsare absolute necessities.

However, one concern with these components is their energy consumption.As discussed, galley systems for heating and cooling are among severalother systems aboard the craft which simultaneously require power.Frequently, such systems require more power than can be drawn from theaircraft engines' drive generators, necessitating additional powersources, such as a kerosene-burning auxiliary power unit (APU) (or by aground power unit if the aircraft is not yet in flight). This powerconsumption can be rather large, particularly for long flights withhundreds of passengers. Additionally, use of aircraft power producesnoise and CO₂ emissions, both of which are desirably reduced.Accordingly, it is desirable to identify ways to improve fuel efficiencyand power management by providing innovative ways to power thesecomponents.

Galleys and lavatories are connected to the aircraft potable water tank,and water is required for many of the related on-board services. Waterpipes connect the water tank to the water consumers. For example, coffeecannot be made, passengers cannot use the lavatories, hand-washing wateris not provided, and so forth, until the the APU or electrical switch ison in order to allow water to flow. Some examples of the water consumerson-board aircraft are the steam oven, beverage maker(coffee/espresso/tea), water boiler, tap water supply, dish washer, andthe toilet vacuum system. Aircraft typically carry large amounts ofpotable water in the potable water tanks, which is uploaded when theaircraft is on the ground. A number of water saving attempts have beenmade to help re-use certain types of water onboard aircraft, but it isstill desirable to generate new ways to generate and/or re-use wateron-board aircraft. Other systems use heat, which is also typicallygenerated by separate units. For example, heated water is desirable foruse in warming hand-washing water (and to prevent freezing of the waterpipes), the ovens and warmers onboard require heat, as well as the cabinheating units.

The present inventors have thus sought new ways to generate power to runon-board components, as well as to harness beneficial by-products ofthat power generation for other uses on-board passenger transportvehicles, such as aircraft.

The relatively new technology of fuel cells provides a promising cleanerand quieter means to supplement energy sources already aboard aircrafts.A fuel cell has several outputs in addition to electrical power, andthese other outputs often are not utilized. Fuel cell systems combine afuel source of compressed hydrogen with oxygen in the air to produceelectrical and thermal power as a main product. Water and OxygenDepleted Air (ODA) are produced as by-products, which are far lessharmful than CO₂ emissions from current aircraft power generationprocesses.

Turning from this broad overview of aircraft systems as a whole in orderto further address details of a specific component, one particularaircraft component of interest is trolleys. In commercial passengercrafts, and particularly in passenger aircrafts, trolleys are often usedby the cabin crew to serve refreshments of food and drinks to thepassengers. One way to utilize the trolleys for this purpose would be tostore the refreshments in a central repository on the craft beforeembarkation and then transfer the refreshments to the trolleys fordistribution to the passengers. However, to save space aboard the craftand improve efficiency of the cabin crew, the refreshments are usuallypre-loaded into the trolleys before the flight or voyage. The trolleysare then stored in or nearby the galley and/or a monument where anyneeded further preparations to the refreshments may be completed duringthe trip.

Often the refreshments are to be served either heated or chilled. Thiscan cause several issues in addition to the energy consumption concernsdiscussed above. For chilled items, the fact that the refreshments arepre-loaded onto the trolley normally requires the entire trolley to beplaced in a chilled compartment. This limits the flexibility of thegalley and the trolley because a trolley that needs to be chilled mustbe stored in a location with a chiller facility. For heatedrefreshments, the items must first be taken out of a chilled trolley,then put in a steam oven or other warming apparatus, and finally placedback into a trolley after being heated. This transferring, waiting forwarming to finish, and transferring again consumes substantial amountsof the cabin crew's time to prepare meals during the voyage.

The weight of the trolley and the movement of the craft, like theclimbing and declining of an airplane during flight, can make it hard tomaneuver the trolley through the craft. This presents a potential dangerthat a crew member will be unable to hold the trolley or will bump intoa seat, with the resulting possibility of damaging the plane interior orhurting a person, either crew or passenger.

Additionally, galleys are bulky monuments, requiring a substantialamount of room aboard a craft. Their common location near the front ofan aircraft cabin frequently necessitates that all passengers must walkthrough the galley while boarding the craft. This is problematic becausethe galley is intended for cabin crew use only and ideally should bemaintained as a restricted area. Furthermore, it presents a bottle neckthat impedes quick boarding.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, disclosed herein are improvements to trolleys over thedrawbacks and limitations of existing trolleys. The following presents asimplified summary of some embodiments of the invention in order toprovide a basic understanding of the invention. This summary is not anextensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identifykey/critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of theinvention. Its sole purpose is to present some embodiments of theinvention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detaileddescription that is presented later.

As an example embodiment, a service trolley is provided for use in acraft, such as a commercial passenger aircraft. The trolley can have acontainer attached to a plurality of wheels, whereby the wheels areconfigured to support the container relative to a support surface, suchas the passenger deck of an aircraft. The wheels facilitate movement ofthe container relative to the support surface. The service trolley canfurther include a power source. The power source can be housed at leastpartially on or at least partially within the container, and the powersource can be configured for providing power to at least one system ofthe trolley. These systems can be housed at least partially on or atleast partially within the container.

The trolley can include a number of different systems, eitherindividually or in combination with one another. For example, thetrolley can include a drive-assist system configured to assist at leastone of the plurality of wheels to turn to move the trolley. The trolleycan include a braking system configured to resist turning of at leastone of the plurality of wheels to resist movement of the trolley. Also,the trolley can include a heating system for heating at least somecontents of the trolley, and the trolley can include a cooling systemfor cooling at least some contents of the trolley. Additionally, thetrolley can include a drink dispensing system, and the trolley caninclude a system for processing fruit into juice. The trolley may eveninclude walls containing insulation.

The power source of the trolley can be any suitable power source orcombination of suitable power sources. For example, the power source caninclude a heat source. In various embodiments, the power source caninclude a fuel cell system. The fuel cell system can include areplaceable fuel cartridge, and the fuel cartridge may be refillable. Insome embodiments, the power source includes an electrical energy storagedevice (EES). Examples of EES are enclosed batteries and supercapacitors. In some embodiments, the EES is rechargeable. The EES can beconfigurable for recharging from an electrical system of the craft, andthe EES can be configurable for recharging from a fuel cell system.

In some embodiments, a system for recharging a EES-powered servicetrolley on a craft is provided. The system can include at least oneEES-powered service trolley. The EES-powered service trolley can includea container and a plurality of wheels attached with the container,configured to support the container relative to a support surface, andconfigured to facilitate movement of the container relative to thesupport surface. The EES-powered service trolley also includes an EEShoused at least partially within or on the container and configured forproviding power to systems of the trolley. Furthermore, the EES-poweredservice trolley also can include a recharging connector configured toengage with the EES and to engage with at least one power connection toan electrical system of the craft for recharging of the EES. The systemfor recharging an EES-powered service trolley on a craft can alsoinclude at least one docking station position located on the craft andconfigured to receive at least one EES-powered service trolley forrecharging. Each docking station position can include at least one powerconnection to an electrical system of the craft. The at least one powerconnection can be configured to engage with an electrical system of thecraft and to engage with at least one recharging connector of at leastone EES-powered service trolley for recharging at least one EES of atthe least one EES-powered service trolley.

In some embodiments, at least one docking station position of the systemfor recharging a EES-powered service trolley is located in a cabin ofthe craft. In some embodiments, at least one docking station position islocated in a cargo bay of the craft.

In some embodiments, a system for heating or cooling at least somecontents of a service trolley on a craft is provided. The system caninclude at least one service trolley, which includes a containerconfigurable to contain contents, a plurality of wheels attached withthe container, and a fuel cell system fuel canister configurable toprovide fuel to a fuel cell system. The fuel canister can containgaseous, liquid, or solid fuel. The fuel canister can be any suitableshape for containing the fuel, including, but not limited to,bottle-like, box-like, cylindrical, rectangular, polygonal, andasymmetric. The fuel cell system fuel canister can be housed at leastpartially on or at least partially inside the container. The pluralityof wheels can be configured to support the container relative to asupport surface and to facilitate movement of the container relative tothe support surface. The system can also include at least one dockingstation position located on the craft and configured to receive at leastone service trolley for heating or cooling of contents of the at leastone service trolley. In various embodiments, each docking stationposition includes at least one fuel cell system configured to receivefuel from at least one fuel canister of at least one service trolley. Insome embodiments, the fuel cell system is further configured to power atleast one temperature regulating module, and each docking stationposition further includes at least one temperature regulating moduleconfigured to be powered by fuel cell system. In various embodiments,the temperature regulating module is configurable for at least one ofcooling or heating contents of at least one service trolley by powerfrom the at least one fuel cell system.

In some embodiments, the system for heating or cooling at least somecontents of a service trolley on a craft includes at least one fuel cellsystem which provides power to a galley of the craft. In someembodiments, at least one fuel cell system provides power to a lowerdeck storage of the craft. The trolley fuel canister can be removable,and/or it can be refillable.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of the presentinvention, reference should be made to the ensuing detailed descriptionand accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of an autonomous trolley in accordance withembodiments.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a semi-autonomous trolley in accordance withembodiments.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic example of input and output elements inconnection with a fuel cell.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic of how fuel cells may be used to power aircraftsystems.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, various embodiments of the presentinvention will be described. For purposes of explanation, specificconfigurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the embodiments. However, it will also be apparent toone skilled in the art that the present invention may be practicedwithout the specific details. Furthermore, well-known features may beomitted or simplified in order not to obscure the embodiment beingdescribed.

Various embodiments involve trolleys which are autonomous from energysystems of the craft. Such a trolley contains an independent powersource for powering systems individually targeted to a trolley andincorporated into the trolley, such as a temperature regulating systemself-contained within the trolley for heating or cooling the contents ofthe trolley. The trolley's independent power source (such as a battery)may interface with infrastructure of the craft for recharging orrefueling, but the systems can operate independently of this interface.

In some embodiments, a trolley can be semi-autonomous, containing apower or fuel source for powering systems which are individuallytargeted to the trolley but incorporated into the infrastructure of thecraft. An example semi-autonomous trolley would dock with a wall in thegalley, causing a fuel cartridge in the trolley to provide fuel for awall-mounted power generator, which powers a temperature regulatingsystem in the wall that heats or cools the contents of the trolley whenit is docked. The trolley's power or fuel source is independent from thecraft infrastructure, but it requires an interface with theinfrastructure for the systems to operate.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numeralsrepresent like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 shows a sideview of an autonomous trolley 100 in accordance with embodiments. Invarious embodiments, autonomous trolley 100 has a main container body101 supported by wheels 102 relative to the support surface 111, oftenthe deck of the craft. Container 101 has a power source 103. The powersource 103 may be any suitable means for providing power, including butnot limited to a battery, a fuel cell system, or a fuel-burninggenerator. In some embodiments, main container body 101 may be foldable,allowing the trolley to take up less space during stowage.

In various embodiments, autonomous trolley 100 has self-containedonboard systems. For example, autonomous trolley 100 can have a heatingmodule 104 for heating contents 114 of the container 101 of trolley 100.In addition or in substitution, autonomous trolley 100 can have acooling module 105 for cooling contents 114 of the container 101 oftrolley 100. In addition or in substitution, autonomous trolley 100 canhave a drink dispensing module 109 for dispensing contents 114 fordrinking from the container 101 of trolley 100. For example, anautonomous trolley 100 could be equipped with just a coffeemaker.Furthermore, in addition or in substitution, autonomous trolley 100 canhave a juicer module 110 for processing fruit into juice to bedistributed from trolley 100. For example, an autonomous trolley 100could be equipped with not only chillers, warmers, and a coffeemaker,but also a machine for pressing oranges into fresh-squeezed orangejuice. The power generated by power source 103 provides the energyneeded within the trolley to power these systems.

In various embodiments, the autonomous trolley 100 includes a wheelassist module 106 for improved control over wheels 102. In someembodiments, wheel assist module 106 may be used to prompt wheels 102 torotate in a certain direction to propel the trolley that way, therebyacting as a drive-assist module. In some embodiments, wheel assistmodule 106 may be used to inhibit the wheels from rolling in a givendirection, thereby providing a braking function and acting as abrake-assist module. In some embodiments, a brake-assist module can beconfigured to activate automatically and brake in response to conditionswithout the intervention of a crew member. In general, the wheel assist106 can serve to reduce work required by crew during aircraft climb andgeneral cabin maneuvering. The power source 103 onboard the trolley 100provides the energy needed for the wheel assist module 106.

In various embodiments, the power source 103 has a connection 107 forinterfacing with craft recharging systems 113 (not shown). For example,if the power source 103 is a rechargeable battery, craft rechargingsystem 113 could correspond to an electrical system of the craft, andconnection 107 provides a power plugin through which the battery canrecharge. In another example, the power source 103 is a fuel cellsystem, craft recharging system 113 could correspond to fuel storagetank on the craft, and connection 107 provides a coupling hose fortransferring fuel to the fuel cell system for recharging. In theseembodiments, because all necessary equipment is onboard trolley 100itself, the trolley 100 no longer needs a completely equipped galley,but only a storing location with a recharging plugin or access to anyother energy storage. This can provide a substantial space savingsaboard the craft.

Embodiments of autonomous trolley 100 also give much more flexibility tothe galley. An autonomous trolley 100 with both a chilling module 105and a heating module 104 can first chill the meals when the trolley 100is stored and later on heat the meals before serving. With an autonomoustrolley 100, the cabin crew no longer must take the meals out of thestorage trolley and put them in to a steam oven and back in to thetrolley when heated. This can provide substantial time savings for thecabin crew which can be better used for serving passengers, attending toother in-flight duties, or resting. Additionally, it can at leastpartially resolve a capacity problem currently experienced withdedicating space aboard a craft for separate steam ovens for mealsbecause every trolley 100 can have its own designated heating component104.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of a semi-autonomous trolley 200 in accordancewith embodiments. In various embodiments, semi-autonomous trolley 200has a main container body 201 supported by wheels 202 relative to thesupport surface 111. Outside and/or inside of container 201 is a powersource 203. The power source 203 may be any suitable means for providingpower, including but not limited to a battery, a fuel cell system, or afuel-burning generator. Housed at least partially within or on container201 is a recharging canister 208, which can provide energy storagerequired for power source 203.

In various embodiments, the semi-autonomous trolley 200 has a dockingstation position 216 in which recharging canister 208 can interface withpower source 203. The docking station position 216 can be part of galleywall 215. The docking station position 216 may also include a heatingmodule 204 or cooling module 205 capable of heating or cooling contents214 of trolley 200 when trolley 200 is docked in docking stationposition 216. When contents 214 have reached a desired temperature,cabin crew may disengage trolley 200 from docking station position 216and maneuver trolley 200 through the craft for distribution of contents214 to passengers.

In various embodiments, the power source 203 is a fuel cell system. Fuelfor this system can be stored in a gaseous, liquid, or solid state. Inmany embodiments, this system requires storage of hydrogen at highpressure. Due to the potential danger of handling high pressure hydrogeninside the craft, embodiments provide for refueling of high pressurestorage tanks outside the aircraft. For example, trolley 200 may containa hydrogen fuel tank such as canister 208 for easy and safe refueling ofa fuel cell system of power source 203. Because canister 208 may beremoved from the craft as part of trolley 200, canister 208 may berefueled under high pressure outside of the craft prior to embarkation.The canister 208 may further have a pressure reducer 217. The addedpressure reducer 217 allows the cabin crew to handle low pressurehydrogen inside the craft instead of the high pressure hydrogen. Duringthe voyage, canister 208 may then be connected to fuel cell system powersource 203, such as by docking trolley 200 in docking station position216, for safe low pressure hydrogen transfer from canister 208 to refuelfuel cell system power source 203.

In various embodiments, canister 208 is a replaceable part which may beremoved from a trolley 200 when the hydrogen or other fuel supply isexhausted. A new or replenished cartridge 208 may then be put back inits place to provide a new fuel supply. Such removable canisters 208could be used with either autonomous trolley 100 or semi-autonomoustrolley 200. A benefit of many embodiments in which trolley 100 or 200contains a canister 208 is that each trolley 100 or 200 can carry itsown supply of hydrogen to meet its own individual need of hydrogenrequired to run its systems such as heating system 104, drive system106, chilling system 205, etc. As such, adding an extra trolley 100 or200 need not require a bigger hydrogen storage tank on board the craftbecause each trolley 100 or 200 has its own supply.

However, a central storage tank scaled to the number of trolleys 100 or200 is also a possible embodiment. Embodiments thus include allalternative arrangements of fuel storage tanks and fuel cell systems,whether incorporated into the craft or the trolley, and whetherconfigured to transfer fuel from the trolley to the craft or from thecraft to the trolley. Additionally, embodiments include rechargeabletrolley power or fuel supplies, whether recharged from a source insideor outside of the aircraft.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic example of input elements that may be used fora fuel cell, showing the materials needed to generate power (O₂ and H₂)and the output elements (H₂O, oxygen depleted air (ODA), and heat) thatmay be reused by the catering container functions described here, aswell as additional aircraft components.

As one of the main components, a fuel cell system usually includes afuel cell for combining the fuel source with the oxidant. However,several other components are often found in fuel cell systems, includingat least one hydrogen circuit, oxygen and/or air circuit, electricityenergy storage circuit, and power management circuit. A fuel cell systemmay (or may not) include a battery. If included, the system is ahybridized fuel cell system. Furthermore, fuel cell systems are oftencharacterized according to type, whether that be PEMFC (Proton ExhangeMembrane), SOFC (Solid Oxide), MCFC (Molten Carbonate), DMFC (DirectMethanol), AFC (Alkaline), PAFC (Phosphoric Acid) or some other newerfuel cell system technology comprising hybride solution.

Fuel sources for fuel cell systems may be different forms of hydrogen(gas, liquid, solid). Furthermore, fuel sources may be compounds otherthan hydrogen which generate, or can be processed to generate, thenecessary hydrogen for fuel (compounds such as hydrocarbons, ammonia,etc.). The supply of oxygen is referred to as the oxidant, and it may besupplied in the form of common air, oxygen enriched air, or pure oxygen.On an airplane, the oxidant could be stored in a gas bottle, begenerated onboard, or, in the case of regular air, come from the air inthe atmosphere.

FIG. 4 shows an example of how fuel cells may be used in connection withvarious aircraft components in order to provide power to thosecomponents, as well as to provide alternatives for using the fuel cellby-products for various components.

Other variations are within the spirit of the present invention. Thus,while the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof areshown in the drawings and have been described above in detail. It shouldbe understood, however, that there is no intention to limit theinvention to the specific form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary,the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions,and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, asdefined in the appended claims.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in thecontext of describing the invention (especially in the context of thefollowing claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and theplural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted bycontext. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing”are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, butnot limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. The term “connected” is to beconstrued as partly or wholly contained within, attached to, or joinedtogether, even if there is something intervening. Recitation of rangesof values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method ofreferring individually to each separate value falling within the range,unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value isincorporated into the specification as if it were individually recitedherein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitableorder unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearlycontradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplarylanguage (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to betterilluminate embodiments of the invention and does not pose a limitationon the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language inthe specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimedelement as essential to the practice of the invention.

Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, includingthe best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention.Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to thoseof ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. Theinventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations asappropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practicedotherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, thisinvention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subjectmatter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicablelaw. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in allpossible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unlessotherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

All references, including publications, patent applications, andpatents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the sameextent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicatedto be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entiretyherein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A service trolley for use in a craft, the trolley comprising: a container for storing chilled meals; a plurality of wheels attached with the container and configured to support the container relative to a support surface and to facilitate movement of the container relative to the support surface; a cooling system for cooling chilled meals stored in the container and a heating system for heating the chilled meals stored in the container; a power source housed at least partially on or at least partially within the container and configured for providing power to at least one system of the trolley housed at least partially on or at least partially within the container, wherein the power source is configured for providing power to the heating system and to the cooling system; and wherein the at least one system of the trolley comprises a drive-assist system powered by the power source configured to assist at least one of the plurality of wheels to turn to move the trolley.
 2. The service trolley of claim 1, further comprising a braking system powered by the power source configured to resist turning of at least one of the plurality of wheels to resist movement of the trolley; a drink dispensing system powered by the power source; or a system for processing fruit into juice, said fruit juicing system is powered by the power source.
 3. The service trolley of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises a fuel cell system.
 4. The service trolley of claim 3, wherein the fuel cell system comprises a replaceable fuel cartridge.
 5. The service trolley of claim 4, wherein the fuel cartridge is refillable.
 6. The service trolley of claim 1, wherein the container comprises walls containing insulation.
 7. The service trolley of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises an electrical energy storage device (EES).
 8. The service trolley of claim 7, wherein the EES is rechargeable.
 9. The service trolley of claim 8, wherein the EES is configurable for at least recharging from an electrical system of the craft or from a fuel cell system.
 10. A system for recharging service trolley on a craft, the system comprising: at least one service trolley as defined in claim 7; wherein said EES is housed at least partially within or at least partially on the container and configured for providing power to systems of the trolley, wherein said at least one service trolley further comprises a recharging connector configured to engage with the EES for recharging of the EES; and at least one docking station position located on the craft and configured to receive said at least one service trolley for recharging, the at least one docking station position comprising at least one power connection to an electrical system of the craft, the at least one power connection configured to engage with an electrical system of the craft and to engage with said at least one recharging connector of at said least one EES-powered service trolley for recharging said EES of said at least one EES-powered service trolley.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one docking station position is located in a cabin or a cargo bay of the craft.
 12. A service trolley for use in a craft, the trolley comprising: a container for storing chilled meals; a plurality of wheels attached with the container and configured to support the container relative to a support surface and to facilitate movement of the container relative to the support surface; a cooling system for cooling chilled meals stored in the container and a heating system for heating the chilled meals stored in the container; a power source housed at least partially on or at least partially within the container and configured for providing power to at least one system of the trolley housed at least partially on or at least partially within the container, wherein the power source is configured for providing power to the heating system and to the cooling system; and wherein the at least one system of the trolley comprises a braking system powered by the power source configured to resist turning of at least one of the plurality of wheels to resist movement of the trolley.
 13. The service trolley of claim 12, further comprising a drive-assist system powered by the power source configured to assist at least one of the plurality of wheels to turn to move the trolley; a drink dispensing system powered by the power source; or a system for processing fruit into juice, said fruit juicing system is powered by the power source.
 14. The service trolley of claim 12, wherein the power source comprises a fuel cell system.
 15. The service trolley of claim 14, wherein the fuel cell system comprises a replaceable fuel cartridge.
 16. The service trolley of claim 15, wherein the fuel cartridge is refillable.
 17. The service trolley of claim 12, wherein the container comprises walls containing insulation.
 18. The service trolley of claim 12, wherein the power source comprises an electrical energy storage device (EES).
 19. The service trolley of claim 18, wherein the EES is rechargeable.
 20. The service trolley of claim 19, wherein the EES is configurable for at least recharging from an electrical system of the craft or from a fuel cell system.
 21. A system for recharging service trolley on a craft, the system comprising: at least one service trolley as defined in claim 18; wherein said EES is housed at least partially within or at least partially on the container and configured for providing power to systems of the trolley, wherein said at least one service trolley further comprises a recharging connector configured to engage with the EES for recharging of the EES; and at least one docking station position located on the craft and configured to receive said at least one service trolley for recharging, the at least one docking station position comprising at least one power connection to an electrical system of the craft, the at least one power connection configured to engage with an electrical system of the craft and to engage with said at least one recharging connector of at said least one EES-powered service trolley for recharging said EES of said at least one EES-powered service trolley.
 22. The system of claim 21, wherein at least one docking station position is located in a cabin or a cargo bay of the craft. 